This paper includes information regarding all therapies including herbal and traditional Chinese Medicine treatments, with a discussion of the active ingredient in green tea. The pharmacological and biochemical mechanisms of action are also address.

Guo SC, Segars JH. The impact and management of fibroids for fertility: an evidence based approach. Obstet Gynecol Clin North Am. 2012, 39:521-533.

This is a paper with good discussions of fertility issues related to leiomyoma management. The authors stress the need for additional treatment options. State that currently myomectomy is the option that is most effective for women desiring pregnancy.

This paper presents an careful approach to uterine leiomyoma morcellation from the point of view of gynecologic oncologists with specific recommendations. It is important reading for all clinicians who treat women with uterine leiomyoma.

CURRENT RESEARCH
One of the primary goals of the Leppert Foundation is the provide and sponsor research that will lead to healthier lives, pregnancies, and births. Research conducted by members of our board of directors is published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at conferences nationwide.

“Feeling the force” in reproduction: Mechanotransduction in reproductive processes.
Janice P. Evans, Phyllis C. Leppert
Reproductive biologists are well-versed in many types of biochemical signaling, and indeed, there are almost innumerable examples in reproduction, including steroid and peptide hormone signaling, receptor-ligand and secondary messenger-mediated signaling, signaling regulated by membrane channels, and many others. Among reproductive scientists, a perhaps lesser-known but comparably important mode of signaling is mechanotransduction: the concept that cells can sense and respond to externally applied or internally generated mechanical forces. Given the cell shape changes and tissue morphogenesis events that are components of many phenomena in reproductive function, it should be no surprise that mechanotransduction has major impacts in reproductive health and pathophysiology. The conference on “Mechanotransduction in the Reproductive Tract” was a valuable launch pad to bring this hot issue in development, cell biology, biophysics, and tissue regeneration to the realm of reproductive biology. The goal of the meeting was to stimulate interest and increased mechanotransduction research in the reproductive field by presenting a broad spectrum of responses impacted by this process. The meeting highlighted the importance of convening expert investigators, students, fellows, and young investigators from a number of research areas resulting in cross-fertilization of ideas and suggested new avenues for study. The conference included talks on tissue engineering, stem cells, and several areas of reproductive biology, from uterus and cervix to the gametes. Specific reproductive health-relevant areas, including uterine fibroids, gestation and parturition, and breast tissue morphogenesis, received particular attention.

Myometrial Hyperplasia Mimics the Clinical Presentation of Uterine Fibroids: A Report of 3 CasesPatricia M. Newcomb, M.D., Stewart F. Cramer, M.D., and Phyllis C. Leppert, M.D., Ph.D.International Journal of Gynecological Pathology, 2013
The clinical diagnosis of fibroid uterus is based on physical examination findings and/or ultrasound. However, it is not uncommon for routine pathology examination to report no significant fibroids in such cases. Myometrial hyperplasia (MMH) is a structural variation with irregular zones of hypercellularity and increased nucleus/cell ratio that appears in adolescence, can progress during the childbearing years, and can sometimes cause grossly detectable bulges on pathologic examination.

The white campion, a wildflower native to Europe, Asia, and Africa, is believed to be over 30,000 years old. The plants are dioecious: male and female flowers grow on separate plants and both must be present to propagate. Through the years, the scientific study of this plant’s ecology and evolution has led to a greater understanding of the reproductive system. For these reasons, the campion was chosen as our logo — a beautiful symbol of survival and hope.